Society Spotlight: Oxford LGBTQ+ Society

The Oxford LGBTQ+ Society is the largest higher education LGBTQ+ Society in the country, and the second largest society at the University. The Society's President outlines the range of events (including virtual) on offer and the welfare and support services that cater to students' needs, whatever they may be.

We organise a diverse range of welfare and social events covering a range of communities and identities, and want to make all LGBTQ+ students feel welcome and relaxed. There is also no membership fee! We usually organise multiple general and identity-specific events every week during term time, with a range of event formats. Whether you want to come for film events, international potlucks, make-a-bear workshops, or some drinks – whatever it is, we hope you’ll find something for you here.

Society events are great opportunities to meet new people, make new friends, and express yourself freely. They’ve been a major part of making Oxford the great time it has been for me, and I am sure that the same will be true for you! We‘ve adapted to the current situation as far as possible, and are running socially distanced events throughout Michaelmas Term. Some of our events are taking place in a virtual format, such as Pub Quizzes, Musical Bingo, Karaoke, game tournaments and speaker events.

In addition to organising events, we also provide a number of welfare and support services and work hard to ensure you have access to the support and information you need. We also work together with the Oxford SU LGBTQ+ Campaign to represent community issues and concerns, though are more focused on events and welfare provisions. To engage with more activist and advocacy-based projects, change university or college policies, do reach out to them to get involved in their ongoing campaigns at [email protected]!

Lastly, it can take a lot of courage to come to Society events and get to know new people in an environment and setting that might be new or unfamiliar to you. We will help and try make the journey as comfortable as possible for you, however don’t worry if you haven’t figured out everything just yet – there is no pressure at all to come or act in a certain way, and we’re happy for you to come as you are, when and however long you wish.

All the very best from me and do reach out if you have any questions or just want to have a chat about LGBTQ+ life at Oxford (at [email protected] or on Facebook). If you'd like to keep up with our events and what we’re planning feel free to sign up to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram and Facebook or check out our website.

Richard W. (he/him)

President OU LGBTQ+ Society 2020-21